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Stahlmann – Stahlmann – Review

Translating as Steel Man in English, these pumped up industrial metallers have a sound very close to fellow countrymen Rammstein.

This perception isn’t merely made because it’s a German man singing in German. Throughout the album there’s a continuation of riffs that resemble the work of Paul Landers, Richard Kruspe and Oliver Riedel. Milan Fras, of Slovenian band Laibach, are a blatantly dominant influence on lead vocalist Mart, as well as Bavarian folk rockers Schandmaul.

It’s a very punchy album in the respect that, unbelievably, not one song weighs over four minutes. My Prayer is a welcome ballady break in the record, closer to power metal than energetic industrial, while finishing track Last Curtain is the pick of the bunch.

Self-titled track Stahlmann serves up a menacing heavy sound doused in electronica. However, the track only puts them closer to a Rammstein rip-off than a credible band. To any Rammstein fan, Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flammen Sehen? immediately springs to mind. The repetitious shouts of ‘Stahlmann!’ are very similar to the Rammstein debut hit.

Musically there’s no doubt that Stahlmann have some gems but they’re seriously let down by the fact they are trying to take a whole ton of gold from Rammstein’s mine, as opposed to a nugget here and there to build a credible stature.